Only $1? At the local dollar store, that item may really be a great bargain—or a bad buy that's too good to be true. Here are the deals to pick up at the 99 cent store and the ones to pass on.

Most of the items that Forbes points out as great buys at the dollar store are single-use or disposable items (we've previously noted that paper cleaning supplies are just as good at the dollar store): paper plates and party decorations, for example, as well as seasonal items that will hold up for one or two seasons. Likewise, children's coloring books and activity books are a great buy at the dollar store—you can get a bunch in a bundle for $1.

One of the biggest savings at the dollar store—also disposable and single-use—are pregnancy tests. As any anxious, possibly-pregnant woman knows, you can never pee on enough sticks, and those things are terribly expensive at the drugstore, running as much as $12 a pop. They're the same thing for just a buck at the dollar store.

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On the flip side, avoid buying other health-related items at the dollar store: medications and vitamins, as well as toothpaste, Forbes warns. You may not know where these items were manufactured or the countries may not adhere to the same food and pharmaceutical regulations of the US.

For similar reasons, it's best to buy your food, toys, electrical cords, and pretty much anything of safety concern elsewhere.

For more tips on what to pick up at the dollar store, check out the full article below, or share your own bargain shopping tricks with us in the comments.